This e-book now includes preview chapters from Higashino's newest mystery, SALVATION OF A SAINT.

Yasuko Hanaoka is a divorced, single mother who thought she had finally escaped her abusive ex-husband Togashi. When he shows up one day to extort money from her, threatening both her and her teenaged daughter Misato, the situation quickly escalates into violence and Togashi endThis e-book now includes preview chapters from Higashino's newest mystery, SALVATION OF A SAINT.

Yasuko Hanaoka is a divorced, single mother who thought she had finally escaped her abusive ex-husband Togashi. When he shows up one day to extort money from her, threatening both her and her teenaged daughter Misato, the situation quickly escalates into violence and Togashi ends up dead on her apartment floor. Overhearing the commotion, Yasuko's next door neighbor, middle-aged high school mathematics teacher Ishigami, offers his help, disposing not only of the body but plotting the cover-up step-by-step. When the body turns up and is identified, Detective Kusanagi draws the case and Yasuko comes under suspicion. Kusanagi is unable to find any obvious holes in Yasuko's manufactured alibi and yet is still sure that there's something wrong. Kusanagi brings in Dr. Manabu Yukawa, a physicist and college friend who frequently consults with the police. Yukawa, known to the police by the nickname Professor Galileo, went to college with Ishigami. After meeting up with him again, Yukawa is convinced that Ishigami had something to do with the murder. What ensues is a high level battle of wits, as Ishigami tries to protect Yasuko by outmaneuvering and outthinking Yukawa, who faces his most clever and determined opponent yet....more

Community Reviews

Not only is THE DEVOTION OF SUSPECT X a multi-faceted cultural reading experience, but it also acutely complements the familiar psychological suspense/thriller/mystery genre by infusing Japanese philosophy. Keigo Higashino shrewdly and subtly induces the reader to contemplate the immeasurable complexities of the human psyche by questioning what motivates one human being to judge who is worthy of life, and who is not.

Tetsuya Ishigami’s daily schedule is precisely what one would expect of a JapaneNot only is THE DEVOTION OF SUSPECT X a multi-faceted cultural reading experience, but it also acutely complements the familiar psychological suspense/thriller/mystery genre by infusing Japanese philosophy. Keigo Higashino shrewdly and subtly induces the reader to contemplate the immeasurable complexities of the human psyche by questioning what motivates one human being to judge who is worthy of life, and who is not.

Tetsuya Ishigami’s daily schedule is precisely what one would expect of a Japanese mathematics’ teacher. His unsuccessful attempts to motivate visibly bored and apathetic students discourage Ishigami, and his one true passion of solving a complex mathematical formula, lies outside of the classroom within the confines of his small apartment. A barren life carved out of necessity dramatically changes when Yasuko and her daughter Misato introduce themselves as his new neighbors. He imagines a fantasy life with them, listening to mother and daughter through the thin apartment walls, and his daily walk to school includes a stop to purchase his boxed lunch at the small shop where Yasuko works. Within this fictitious context, Ishigami surprisingly exhibits a fierce desire to protect both mother and daughter, and so begins a bizarre tale that originates with the unexpected arrival of Yasuko’s nefarious ex-husband Togashi.

To divulge the minute intricacies of this suspenseful tale would require *spoilers.* Ishigami’s masterful, methodical, and devious scheme demands a skillful exposé by the incongruous, yet highly likeable duo of Dr.Yukama and Detective Kusanagi, the intrepid investigators who are destined to unravel the shocking and mind-boggling conundrum. Imperial University graduates in different fields, Ishigami, Yukama and Kusanagi, seem equally matched; Ishigami, unappreciated mathematical master of a methodical crime committed to protect Yasuko and Misato, and Yukama, preeminent master of rare intuitive observations of human frailties, and Kusanagi, resolute advocate of justice match their unparalleled wits to a stunning unbelievable conclusion. The factual drama predominantly hinges on the intellectual “cat and mouse” chase between Ishigami, “Buddha” at University and Yukama, affectionately known as “Professor Galileo” by the police.

Initially, the translation was a bit stilted, but once engrossed in the book, it was hardly noticeable. In addition to the utterly fascinating and distinctive premise, the cultural milieu depicted an informative contemporary view of Japanese life.

Jannet GuajardoThe Devotion of Suspect X is a very exciting mystery. The twist and turns have you guessing about what really happened. It makes you question love, deThe Devotion of Suspect X is a very exciting mystery. The twist and turns have you guessing about what really happened. It makes you question love, devotion and good sense. Being lonely and unloved can cause such extreme emotions. I hope to read more from Keigo Higashino....more
Jan 13, 2011 10:12AM

The Devotion of Suspect X is the third book of the 'Detective Galileo' series by the author Keigo Higashino. The reason why I believe it has managed to attain such popularity, is because the book has broken free from the shackles of the typical 'whodunnit' format. The author presents us with a greater challenge than wondering who the murderer is: he keeps us guessing about how the murder can be hidden, in order to make it a perfect crime.

The premise of the story, as oft-repeated, is simple.

YasuThe Devotion of Suspect X is the third book of the 'Detective Galileo' series by the author Keigo Higashino. The reason why I believe it has managed to attain such popularity, is because the book has broken free from the shackles of the typical 'whodunnit' format. The author presents us with a greater challenge than wondering who the murderer is: he keeps us guessing about how the murder can be hidden, in order to make it a perfect crime.

The premise of the story, as oft-repeated, is simple.

Yasuko is a single mother to her teen-aged daughter Misato. She is frequently troubled by her ex-husband who reappears intermittently to extort money from her. One day, things go a little out of hand, and Yasuko, in a terrible fit of rage, ends up killing him. Her neighbor Ishigami, a high school maths teacher, comes to her rescue. He gives her the perfect alibi, with the perfect plan to cover up the murder.

Investigating the murder is Detective Kusanagi, who finds himself drawn into one of his most puzzling cases. He can sense something is wrong, but can’t put his finger to it. Thus, he takes the help of his friend, Yukawa, a physist with a penchant to solve crimes, thus earning himself the title ‘Detective Galileo’.

What follows next is the ensuing battle of wits between the two geniuses: Ishigami and Yukawa. As the story progresses, we are forced to wonder, in the author's own words,"Which is harder: devising an unsolvable problem, or solving that problem". I believe these two characters are the best sketched out, and they interested me the most.

However, one down-side to the novel was the abysmally bad translation. The sentences were jerky, and the flavour of the book was destroyed by the limp sentences. So, it took me a while to ignore that and get drawn into the story. Also, towards the middle, it kind of did get a bit slow, and I wished there were some more twists or actions.

On the whole it was quite an enjoyable read, but a few things were off the key which stopped me from loving it.However, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND it to all those who would like to savour something out of the ordinary, on a wintery or rainy night.

Whoa! I finished reading the final 220 odd pages in less than 3 hours. That must be some kind of a personal best for me.

All of the crime thrillers I had read before this had the same template of the classical whodunit, with a few alterations here & there. But it was always on me to try & guess the identity of the culprit until the end when the book finally provides the revelation.

But what if you're already told 'who done it' in the first couple of chapters itself? Believe me, I thought tWhoa! I finished reading the final 220 odd pages in less than 3 hours. That must be some kind of a personal best for me.

All of the crime thrillers I had read before this had the same template of the classical whodunit, with a few alterations here & there. But it was always on me to try & guess the identity of the culprit until the end when the book finally provides the revelation.

But what if you're already told 'who done it' in the first couple of chapters itself? Believe me, I thought that was the end of the book. I mean, how can a crime thriller be kept interesting when you already know who the killer is? After all, we're not expecting something like 'Crime and Punishment'.

And that is perhaps the biggest achievement of Keigo Higashino's 'The Devotion of Suspect X', the first in the Detective Galileo series. This novel achieved cult status in Japan & sold more than 2 million copies while also being made into a successful screen adaptation. When I was done reading this, I could see why.

The story starts off in a quiet neighbourhood of Tokyo where a single woman Yasuko & her daughter Misato are living peacefully. Their neighbour Ishigami is a talented mathematician who now works as a school teacher. When Yasuko's ex-husband turns up on her doorstep on a fateful night, a moment of indiscretion from both mother & daughter results in wheels being set in motion. Ishigami somehow gets involved in all this & the situation develops into something from which no one can turn back to living their normal lives. Think I somewhat spoiled it for you already? Be rest assured, I haven't revealed what forms the essence of the plot. What follows is a fascinating cat-and-mouse game between Ishigami & Manabu Yukawa, an assistant physics professor & an amateur sleuth also known as 'Detective Galileo'.

This book is not as much about the consequences of the crime as it is about how the crime was done & the possible reasons of committing the crime from the investigating officer's point of view. You know already who is guilty, but there are still so many aspects that remain unclear, which draws the reader into the tale. There are also a few sub-plots - one of them being an old connection between Ishigami & Yukawa, which makes their conversations delightful to read as they talk science & mathematical logic.

But the narrative perhaps emerges as the biggest winner in this novel. The unique approach could have gone all wrong if the narrative would not have been tightly-written & perfectly paced. Full marks to the author as well as the translator Alexander O. Smith who retain the interest of the reader till the end & render us an absolute page-turner. I also liked how themes like infatuation, platonic love & devotion (yeah, it's in the title itself) were explored throughout the course of the story.

I'm going with 4 stars for 'The Devotion of Suspect X' by Keigo Higashino. This is my first brush with Japanese literature, and my appetite craves for more. Highly recommended for fans of international crime fiction....more

ScarletGreat review! I rarely read crime thrillers but considering both you and Samadrita love this series, I'm determined to give it a try :)
May 15, 2013 02:17AM

AbhinavScarlet wrote: "Great review! I rarely read crime thrillers but considering both you and Samadrita love this series, I'm determined to give it a try :Scarlet wrote: "Great review! I rarely read crime thrillers but considering both you and Samadrita love this series, I'm determined to give it a try :)"

Do give this a try, Scarlet. Refreshingly unique approach to the crime thriller. Yeah, Samadrita recently read #2 of the series & she too found it to her liking. I hope you too find it good.

When Yasuko Hanaoka’s ex-husband shows up to exhort money, she and her daughter kill him. Her neighbor Tetsuya Ishigami, a high school math teacher, volunteers to help dispose of the body and divert the police’s attention. What results is a scheme to deceive the police into solving the wrong crime.

Sumida River in Tokyo (Photograph by Ian Muttoo)

A dead body whose face is smashed to hide the identity shows up near the river and Detective Kusanagi must identify the murder and find the perpetrator.When Yasuko Hanaoka’s ex-husband shows up to exhort money, she and her daughter kill him. Her neighbor Tetsuya Ishigami, a high school math teacher, volunteers to help dispose of the body and divert the police’s attention. What results is a scheme to deceive the police into solving the wrong crime.

Sumida River in Tokyo (Photograph by Ian Muttoo)

A dead body whose face is smashed to hide the identity shows up near the river and Detective Kusanagi must identify the murder and find the perpetrator. On reaching a dead end, he solicits his friend and schoolmate, physics professor Dr. Manabu Yukawa, to sift through the clues and red herrings. Thus, pinning the two masterminds against each other.

Tokyo Metropolitan Police

In The Devotion of Suspect X, Ishigami and Yukawa try to outwit each other in this cops and robbers game. What Yukawa couldn’t fathom is the depth in which Ishigami is willing to devote himself to and ultimately sacrifice for Yasuko. This mystery is among the handful of mystery novels whose plots surprise me. And though I wish the key characters have more depth, the plot more than compensates for that flaw and the sparse prose pushes the plot along without extraneous verbiage. Smart and powerful. I almost wish Ishigami could triumph over Yukawa.

{grade school review but I should probably click like for the effort} \ (-_-)

Boring Person:

A totally different spin on the much-covered grounds of murder mystery, this novel is sure to bring chills to fans of the genre and casual readers alike. I’m not going to ruin the fun by spoiling anything but I’m just going say that it’s been quite a while since I really enjoyed one from this genre. The crime is committed in the first two chapters without hiding the identity of the culprits and you might be left wondering what more is there for you to read. Don’t make the mistake of assuming that. Keigo Higashino carefully concocts a layered façade to a crime that trumps other so-called crimes of passion. On top of that an intellectual battle, like a chess match, goes on in the background. You just can’t stop reading. For me, the strongest suit of this novel is the characters; they really take hold of you and you can’t help but empathize. Not since Crime and Punishment have I rooted for the culprit, or culprits in this case, to walk free. The tension mounts steadily and never slackens. Then the reveal takes you unexpectedly and I didn’t even get close to guessing it. Like a magician, Higashino carefully employs misdirection to suit his sleight-of-hand. Up till the bitter-end it’ll take your breath away. My only problem with this is the translation by Alexander O. Smith. It feels a bit too rough, and sometimes the flow of the book feels stilted. Not that it’s unreadable, but in better hands this experience would’ve been so much better. All in all, a great crime-thriller novel that’s both terribly smart and affecting.

Quote:

“Not knowing the truth could be a crime in and of itself, she realized.” ...more

The whodunit variant that begins with the audience knowing who the perpetrator is requires a higher precision and control from the author's part. You start with an outlandish occurrence and a sleuth takes you back in time and reconstructs the entire sequence. Precisely for the amount of careful plotting needed, a vast majority of the books in this line fail to meet the objective. That is, if your reader figures out your plot halfway through the story : the game's up ! Not many people read a whodThe whodunit variant that begins with the audience knowing who the perpetrator is requires a higher precision and control from the author's part. You start with an outlandish occurrence and a sleuth takes you back in time and reconstructs the entire sequence. Precisely for the amount of careful plotting needed, a vast majority of the books in this line fail to meet the objective. That is, if your reader figures out your plot halfway through the story : the game's up ! Not many people read a whodunit twice ( but of course this rule does not apply for Mr. Doyle or Ms. Christie !) and as far as I understand, the trick is to deliver the best punch in the course of the book. Keigo Higashino succeeds in this effort but only to a moderate level !

The circumstances that the characters find themselves in are not entirely what i would term novel. Take a look at the brief summary that goodreads provides about the plot and you will remember many a movie that you have seen. The slight whiff of fresher air comes from the characters of Yasuko, Ishigami and Yukawa. They are not path breaking innovations in the art of character development but rather flawed characters who at times are a pleasure to observe. The most irritating and cliched usage in a whodunit goes something like this :

So that means he was not on the bridge until ten...wait !....no that can't be !!

What ? What can't be ?

I will tell you later but for now leave me.

This revelation takes another hundred pages to arrive. I hate to become high handed in reviews but not every sleuth is the resident of 221B or the egg headed Iris man. When some of the detectives try this art form, I end up rolling my eyes and that is exactly what happened when this performance was repeated multiple times through the tale.

I quite liked the structure and the story telling but did not find anything beyond the ordinary in here.

Plastered on the front cover was a testimony The Japanese Steig Larsson . Figures why I could only muster up a mild amusement all through the proceedings !...more

"He’s quite capable of committing an atrocity, provided that it’s the most logical course of action".~Physicist Yukawa

Hanoaka lives with her daughter alone, but is haunted by her ex-husband Togashi. One evening, tired mother & daughter, badly provoked, kill him. Police cannot know this, and friends cannot know this. Genius, but introvert neighbor Ishigami finds out and helps them to cover up the whole thing, carefully.

But how far will you go to protect a troubled woman you loved?

Police run"He’s quite capable of committing an atrocity, provided that it’s the most logical course of action".~Physicist Yukawa

Hanoaka lives with her daughter alone, but is haunted by her ex-husband Togashi. One evening, tired mother & daughter, badly provoked, kill him. Police cannot know this, and friends cannot know this. Genius, but introvert neighbor Ishigami finds out and helps them to cover up the whole thing, carefully.

But how far will you go to protect a troubled woman you loved?

Police run their own investigation. Soon comes a situation police suspect him. Whole direction of investigation turns towards Ishigami. There is a crime, there is a suspect and worse there is desperation working against him.

But again, how far will you go to protect a woman you loved?

For good or worse, old friendship with physicist scientist Yukawa blooms fully. Even worse, police friend Kusanagi seeks his logical assistance to solve toughest of cases. Yukawa solves case finally. Ishigami knows everything; he even anticipates the worse. (view spoiler)[ he surrenders before Yukawa can unthread everything. (hide spoiler)] Woman never loved him.

But hey! How far will you go to protect ever conflicted woman you loved?And his answer was ALL THE WAY.

I could not give 5 stars to this elegant howdunnit mystery thriller. It has its own shortcomings like few badly translated bits, abrupt finishing touch etc., But assigning four stars to this book is not being fair too; I want to go little up with this, 4.25 maybe. But does that make any sense? Like Ishigami would have put it it’s all mathematics. ;-)

“Sometimes, all you had to do was exist in order to be someone's savior.”~Professor Ishigami["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>...more

AbhinavMy feelings about not being able to give it 5 stars are similar to yours. Still, what a fine book this is by all means. One of the most unique & mMy feelings about not being able to give it 5 stars are similar to yours. Still, what a fine book this is by all means. One of the most unique & memorable crime thrillers I've read till date.

Kali SrikanthAbhinav wrote: "My feelings about not being able to give it 5 stars are similar to yours. Still, what a fine book this is by all means. One of the mosAbhinav wrote: "My feelings about not being able to give it 5 stars are similar to yours. Still, what a fine book this is by all means. One of the most unique & memorable crime thrillers I've read till date.

Grea..."

Sure it is one of the most unique & memorable crime thrillers I have read Abhinav. I was drawn more to his silent Love story ofcoarse. By the way did you happen to read Salvation of a Saint by any chance?...more
Mar 26, 2015 05:10AM

I had really wanted to like this book more than I actually did. I have read other foreign authors' works that are translated, and although I feel that was part of my problem, it wasn't the only factor.

The translation here, for me, was somewhat stilted or more formal than what a normal dialogue would be like. Just basic responses to everyday things seemed off and it interfered with the flow of the story. The other problem I had with tDevotion of Suspect X By: Keigo Higashino, Alexander O. Smith

I had really wanted to like this book more than I actually did. I have read other foreign authors' works that are translated, and although I feel that was part of my problem, it wasn't the only factor.

The translation here, for me, was somewhat stilted or more formal than what a normal dialogue would be like. Just basic responses to everyday things seemed off and it interfered with the flow of the story. The other problem I had with this story was that the police, Detectives Kusanagi and Kishitani aided by Dr. Manabu Yukawa - a friend and consultant to the police involved in this case, based too much on assumptions. They didn't have two sticks to rub together and it all seemed such a stretch. I am all for gut instinct and going out on a limb in some cases, but here it really seemed out of place and it really irritated me and took the enjoyment of the thrill of discovery. After rolling my eyes I had to take breaks just so I could finish; I really did want to see how this played out as I really loved the premise of the book.

After I read the book, the main thing that bothered me was the fact that the police zeroed in on Togashi's ex wife, Yasuko, just because he had asked of her whereabouts recently. They had been divorced for 5 years, she hadn't seen him since then. The alibi she gave them worked for the timetable and the police initially had no qualms. On the other hand her ex-husband was an in-debt, unemployed bully, yet they couldn't come up another viable suspect? It just seemed very unrealistic to me and really off-putting.

In the book's description, it mentions a battle of wits between Ishigami who helped Yasuko and Yukawa, a consultant used by the police, but for me it was just patched together with threadbare fabric. The assumptions made by the police and Dr. Yukawa were just assumptions contrived to fit. Even the twist at the end fell flat for me.

The characters are so boring, their lives are mundane, they go to work and come home. They don't even know each other but for this one incident. The other people involved haven't even seen each other in years and yet claim to know what they would do and what they are thinking. Overall, I kept reading just to see how this ended but I didn't really enjoy it and I was rather disappointed. ...more

I only finished this one as a punishment for my error in picking it up in the first place. I can forgive the flat prose and the non-existant characterization - I wasn't looking for literary greatness here - but the plot is so unbelievably silly I was muttering insults at the author while reading it. The ex-wife of the murder victim is the only suspect in the investigation. Really? The brilliant detective completely disregards any other possibilities and draws ridiculous - supposedly logical - coI only finished this one as a punishment for my error in picking it up in the first place. I can forgive the flat prose and the non-existant characterization - I wasn't looking for literary greatness here - but the plot is so unbelievably silly I was muttering insults at the author while reading it. The ex-wife of the murder victim is the only suspect in the investigation. Really? The brilliant detective completely disregards any other possibilities and draws ridiculous - supposedly logical - conclusions based on vague speculations. Reading a thriller about a cat-and-mouse-game between Sherlock Holmes-like masterminds, I expect a certain amount of logic and rational reasoning. This was just ludicrous. ...more

AnonGo back to reading shitty Sherlock Holmes like mysteries if you want cliches. If you read any other Japanese novels, you would see how usually unbelieGo back to reading shitty Sherlock Holmes like mysteries if you want cliches. If you read any other Japanese novels, you would see how usually unbelievable the plots are and that's what makes it great as it avoids the old and busted, cut-and-paste mysteries we get in American crime novels. Although most of it was lost in translation,I still don't see how there was lack of characterization-you must lack imagination if you can't picture the story in your head. I liked how simple and matter-of-fact the writing style was, much better than pointless descriptions that do nothing for the story. The fact that this book has an unexpected twist, especially when you realize the significant of the title, is what made it a best seller in Japan....more
Oct 20, 2013 10:00AM

38. THE DEVOTION OF SUSPECT X. (2008; Eng. trans. 2011). Keigo Higashino. ***1/2. This was the first novel by this Japanese author to feature his series hero, Dr. Manabu Yukana, also known as Detective Galileo. Yukana is an Assistant Professor of Physics at Tokyo Imperial University, and seems to routinely help the Tokyo detectives with their more difficult cases. The author is a mega-seller in Japan, with both this series and others, plus a raft of films adapted from his novels and assorted TV38. THE DEVOTION OF SUSPECT X. (2008; Eng. trans. 2011). Keigo Higashino. ***1/2. This was the first novel by this Japanese author to feature his series hero, Dr. Manabu Yukana, also known as Detective Galileo. Yukana is an Assistant Professor of Physics at Tokyo Imperial University, and seems to routinely help the Tokyo detectives with their more difficult cases. The author is a mega-seller in Japan, with both this series and others, plus a raft of films adapted from his novels and assorted TV series. In my usual style, I read the second novel in this series first (“Salvation of a Saint” – see my previous blurb) before I knew about or read this one. I didn’t think all that highly of that novel, but decided to find this first installment to see if I was missing something. Turns out that this first novel was much better than the second, but still dragged. The plot had been used before, but don’t ask me where; I just know I came across the story before. The twist, of course, is that we now have the presence of Detective Galileo, who has to face off against another genius, this time a fellow graduate from the University, but from the mathematics department. Meet Mr. Ishigami, a high school teacher of math, and a graduate from the math department from University. He leads a singular and isolated life, split between his teaching duties and his studies at home. He has no social life. One day, a young woman, Yasuko Hanaoka, and her daughter, Misato, knock on his door and introduce themselves. They are his new neighbors, and it is customary for new neighbors to introduce themselves. Yasuko works in a local restaurant that specializes in the preparation of bento boxes for lunch. This is a new job for her. She was previously a hostess at a drinking club, but decided that it would be better for her daughter if she had a more conventional job. She has been divorced from her husband for about five years. That’s a relief, since towards the end of their marriage he had become physically abusive and had turned to drink. On top of that, he managed to take the money she earned from the club and spend it on booze and gambling. Over the last five years, she hadn’t seen him more than once, and that time he found her and demanded money. She managed to avoid further contact by making several moves of dwelling places and also moving away from her club job. Then one day he shows up at her apartment door. When he demands money from her, a physical struggle occurs and he begins to choke her. The daughter comes to the rescue by hitting him over the head and stunning him but he is not finally subdued until Yasuko wraps the electrical cord from her cooker around his neck and strangles him. Now what? She and her daughter have murdered a man, and they are in big trouble. Help comes in the form of Mr. Ishigami, the next-door neighbor, who has heard all the commotion through the wall. Being a mathematician, he manages to figure out a way that they can cover up the killing. But...there is Detective Galileo. The pace of the plot is slow, since the author chooses to go over each plot device several times, but many of the tricks are ingeneous. If you’d like to get into this series, it would be wise to start with this first novel. Recommended.

I've read perhaps ten or so Japanese crime novels seen maybe fifteen Japanese crime films, have read some non-fiction about the Japanese underworld, and have been to the country. All of which is to say that while I'm not fluent in the culture, I didn't come to this story completely unversed in it either. Unfortunately, this particular book seems to be a case of a publisher trying to find the next big international crime thriller hit, and releasing a book with some major flaws.

The story revolvesI've read perhaps ten or so Japanese crime novels seen maybe fifteen Japanese crime films, have read some non-fiction about the Japanese underworld, and have been to the country. All of which is to say that while I'm not fluent in the culture, I didn't come to this story completely unversed in it either. Unfortunately, this particular book seems to be a case of a publisher trying to find the next big international crime thriller hit, and releasing a book with some major flaws.

The story revolves around a divorced single mother who works the counter at a small takeout place. When her nasty ex-husband tracks her down and tries to milk her for money, things get violent and she and her daughter end up killing him in the fight. Facing the prospect of jail and foster care, they accept the offer of their quiet neighbor Mr. Ishigami to make their problem disappear. The unremarkable middle-aged neighbor is a high-school math teacher with no friends or family, but a genius-level brain. He's been nursing a crush on his neighbor and is ready and willing to cover up for her. (All of this is on the book jacket, so I'm not spoiling anything.) The bulk of the book involves the police investigation that follows, and whether or not Ishigami is going to be able to maintain the deception. Now, to the flaws:

First, the entire book is predicated on the police honing in on the ex-wife as the only suspect. This despite their being divorced for a number of years, and him being an unemployed, nasty character of no fixed address or means, who had embezzled money from a previous employer. The obvious notion that he could have had any number of enemies, especially underworld ones, is never examined the police. Why? Because it would have completely torpedoed the premise of the book, so instead it's just...ignored.

OK, I'm willing to overlook one large hole if a book makes it worth my while Unfortunately, a massive coincidence is unleashed which is also central to the story. The police detective assigned to the case happens to regularly consult with a brilliant physicist (named Yukawa, presumably in tribute to the Nobel laureate), in the manner of Inspector Lestrade consulted with Sherlock Holmes. And it just so happens that not only did Yukawa go to university with Ishigami, they were friends! This makes him literally the only person in the entire world both smart enough and familiar enough with Ishigami's manner of thinking to potentially unravel his plan. I mean, I'm all for suspension of disbelief in my entertainment, but that's just silly.

And yet I kept reading, just to see how the story would conclude. It's not a bad puzzle, although the big twist toward the end didn't exactly shock me. There had been plenty of deliberate mentions of a particular group of people in the book, so I knew one of them would be playing an important role at some point. There's one final twist at the end that is a purely tonal one, shifting it from what could be considered a happy ending to a tragic one. It's not a choice I would have made, but it's in keeping with a lot of Japanese crime stories, so I guess it works in that context. All in all, I'm kind of baffled that a book with such serious flaws could have been such a hit, spawning a TV crime series featuring Yukawa and a film adaptation of the book (Suspect X)....more

I ummed and ahhed between 3 and 4 * for The Devotion of Suspect X. A nice mix between crime and romance and interesting to read a book set in a country and culture that I know very little about. Good story and twist. The only reason I knocked it down to 3 was the writing style which took time to get used to. I'd describe it as 'noddy' language, very simplistic, and probably down to translation method. In the end, it didn't really detract from what's an entertaining read.

First off: I am not generally a thriller/suspense reader. I love it in movies and TV, but I have yet to find an amazing suspense author capable of keeping me fully-immersed in a crime story and it's characters. Though, I do plan to read the books by "Richard Castle" whether they are any good or not, just because I love him so much. I'm not sure what that says about me.

I watch quite a bit of crime TV and perhaps I have become way to accustomed to the fast pace at which the episodes progress. ThisFirst off: I am not generally a thriller/suspense reader. I love it in movies and TV, but I have yet to find an amazing suspense author capable of keeping me fully-immersed in a crime story and it's characters. Though, I do plan to read the books by "Richard Castle" whether they are any good or not, just because I love him so much. I'm not sure what that says about me.

I watch quite a bit of crime TV and perhaps I have become way to accustomed to the fast pace at which the episodes progress. This book moved too slow for me, slower than I would have preferred. The characters were interesting but didn't blow me away. I will say that the ending caught me off guard and I thought it all came together very well, which says a lot. I definitely think that American mystery lovers would enjoy the change of culture offered by The Devotion of Suspect X.

If not for the ending, this would have been a 2 star. Mainly just because of the pacing. The fact is that this was just really not my thing.

I received this book free as an ARC from the Goodreads Firstreads program. Thanks!...more

This is a solid mystery out of Japan, nominated for the 2012 Edgar Awards for 'Best Novel'. This mystery has a bit of a twist in that you know the murder/murderer up front & the rest of the novel is a cat & mouse game between police & suspect(s). Even knowing the set-up from the beginning, Higashino throws some twists & turns in there, making it surprising even when it seems like you already know everything. I also appreciated & enjoyed the Japanese atmosphere (setting, charaThis is a solid mystery out of Japan, nominated for the 2012 Edgar Awards for 'Best Novel'. This mystery has a bit of a twist in that you know the murder/murderer up front & the rest of the novel is a cat & mouse game between police & suspect(s). Even knowing the set-up from the beginning, Higashino throws some twists & turns in there, making it surprising even when it seems like you already know everything. I also appreciated & enjoyed the Japanese atmosphere (setting, character traits, etc...) of the novel. I've read that Higashino enjoys a huge following in Japan (similar to Stephen King in the US) & I can see why... this is an easy-to-read, fairly smart murder mystery with likable characters (& more of an emotional core than I expected) & enough twists to keep the story interesting & engaging. If you're in the mood for a mystery, this is one to check out....more

I feel bad giving this book only two stars because the plot solution is extremely ingenious, and ingenuity is something I prize highly. However, the process of reading the book in order to get to the ace solution was...not enjoyable. The writing (or perhaps the translation?) was rather flat and toneless. However: very clever puzzle and solution set-up, so I'm glad I read it.

If you are looking for a typical whodunnit kind of book, this is definitely not the one for you, as you know who did what right from the beginning. However, if you are looking for a crime fiction that borders brilliance in its execution and has a really surprising end, this is definitely the book for you.

After hearing so much about this book from several people, mixed reactions as usual, I decided to give it a try. I was hooked onto this page turner right from the beginning. The story was simpleIf you are looking for a typical whodunnit kind of book, this is definitely not the one for you, as you know who did what right from the beginning. However, if you are looking for a crime fiction that borders brilliance in its execution and has a really surprising end, this is definitely the book for you.

After hearing so much about this book from several people, mixed reactions as usual, I decided to give it a try. I was hooked onto this page turner right from the beginning. The story was simple and straightforward, or so it seemed. What I loved best about this book was the manner in which the investigation took place and the confused looks or thoughts of the investigators. Here was a criminal who truly had the investigators stumped and it took another genius mind to really help them get it. That was brilliant in my mind. The end as I said earlier was totally unexpected at least in the way it was executed but respect has to be given to the author for his brilliant imagination to think of something different.

Character development was a major flaw in this book and I would have loved more interactions between the protagonists. However, I honestly have to admit that i don't feel cheated at the end of the book, given how it ended. And maybe because of that I understand why character development was kept at its minimal and not gone into as with other books.

All in all, I would say this is an enjoyable read. Something for anyone who wants a good paced page turner that is different from the usual crime fiction books....more

Although the book has been hyped as a thriller, I found the thriller part pretty simple. Frankly speaking there are far better thriller available in the market. So, as far as the THRILLER part of the book goes, I would give it 3.5 stars out of 5.Now comes the twist. There also happens to be a tragic layer in the book apart from the thriller part. And, that is what makes this book such a captivating read. While reading the last few pages, you cant help but feel sad for Ishigami. Specially when heAlthough the book has been hyped as a thriller, I found the thriller part pretty simple. Frankly speaking there are far better thriller available in the market. So, as far as the THRILLER part of the book goes, I would give it 3.5 stars out of 5.Now comes the twist. There also happens to be a tragic layer in the book apart from the thriller part. And, that is what makes this book such a captivating read. While reading the last few pages, you cant help but feel sad for Ishigami. Specially when he recollects about his sad life, his suicide attempt, the first time he looked into Yasuko's eyes, his matrix about imagined time spent with Yasuko and Misato. At this point we feel, that haven't we all, especially the stodgy ones, felt like this atleast once in our life. When we look into a person's eyes and start living once again, only to realize that for her I am just a 'X'. Where we devote ourselves to a person completely only to see her holding the hands of someone else. Where we wont hesitate to do something like Ishigami just to see that no harm comes to her.For me this book is something more than just a thriller. This is truly a story about the devotion of that person, who always remains a 'X', but never becomes a definite part of Yasuko's life.5 stars for this book, I wish i could have given 500....more

I keep wavering between 4 and 5 stars for The Devotion of Suspect X, so I'm going to call it at 4.5 STARS. My love of statistics and interest in the Japanese people made this a must read for me.

Having worked with many Japanese engineers, I can say this story definitely unfolds in a very Japanese style. Methodical, systematic, carefully, calmly, quietly...these are all words that come to mind, when I think of this book or any of the Japanese people I have been around.

The idea behind the story, anI keep wavering between 4 and 5 stars for The Devotion of Suspect X, so I'm going to call it at 4.5 STARS. My love of statistics and interest in the Japanese people made this a must read for me.

Having worked with many Japanese engineers, I can say this story definitely unfolds in a very Japanese style. Methodical, systematic, carefully, calmly, quietly...these are all words that come to mind, when I think of this book or any of the Japanese people I have been around.

The idea behind the story, an abusive ex-husband hunts down the ex-wife, is not that different from a plethora of other stories out there, but this one packs a one, two punch, then a final sucker punch to the stomach at the end.

At the start of this book, Yasuko's ex-husband, Togashi, shows up on her doorstep in need of money and wanting more from Yasuko and her teenage daughter, Misato. Togashi attacks Yasuko, then one thing leads to another and the ladies have killed Togashi in self defense but, never the less, they are worried about the consequences. In comes the math genius next door neighbor, Ishigami.

Ishigami develops a plan to cover up the killing, based on mathematical theories. Ishigami's cover-up and his "mathematical equations" that lead to all possible outcomes determine each and every step from that point on. The end was completely out of left field, I could have never predicted what happens. Absolutely crazy!

One things for sure, you can never predict every possible outcome, no matter how hard you try....more

This story was superbly crafted and a really wonderful, highly recommended read. The truth is I didn't actually like it very much at the beginning, however I quickly got pulled into the story and in the end could only admire the simple but genius quality of the plot.

There are essentially four main characters in this novel: Yasuko, the single-mother who commits the unplanned murder; Ishigami, a math teacher and her neighbor, who heSuperbly crafted psychological suspense novel - simple, yet genius

This story was superbly crafted and a really wonderful, highly recommended read. The truth is I didn't actually like it very much at the beginning, however I quickly got pulled into the story and in the end could only admire the simple but genius quality of the plot.

There are essentially four main characters in this novel: Yasuko, the single-mother who commits the unplanned murder; Ishigami, a math teacher and her neighbor, who helps her cover it up; Kusanagi, the main detective investigating the case; and Yukawa, a physics professor who is friends with Kusanagi and often assists him on cases. Yukawa and Ishigami used to be friends when they were both university students, but had since lost touch.

For much of the beginning, Yasuko and Ishigami are the central of the book and the reason I wasn't getting wrapped up in the story was mainly because neither one of them really drew me in at first. While I sympathized with Yasuko, she appeared to me a somewhat boring character. Ishigami, on the other hand, seemed like he was probably very complex, but so placid and emotionless on the surface that I couldn't really get a feel for him. When Kusanagi and Yukawa become further integrated into the story, they were the ones whom I actually became most interested in and who really started to pull me in. The more I read, the more I ended up liking and understanding all four characters. The one who remained the weakest was our heroine, Yasuko, but Kusanagi, Ishigami, and Yukawa are wonderfully written, with the last two being the most complex and thoroughly developed/explored characters of the four.

The plot itself is nothing short of superb. Very skillfully crafted and just when you think you know what's going on and are ahead of characters x, y, and z, things take a surprising turn. There were also several cases of reverse dramatic irony (if that's an actual term - and if not, now it is!). What I loved most about the mystery was that it was as mystery stories should be: there are enough clues that the reader could actually figure things out, but the truth of the matter is that you're not going to (or at least I didn't) because it's so carefully interwoven and hidden.

Another thing that was absolutely fabulous - and also superb in a mystery/suspense - is that I truly did not know how the book was going to end. You have all of these opposing forces and teams - Yasuko and Ishigami, the accomplices; Kusanagi and Yukawa, the investigators; Yukawa and Ishigami, the math and science geniuses and reacquainted friends - and are somewhat confounded as to who you should be rooting for. So not only do you not know how the book is going to end, but you also are not sure how you even *want* it to end!

This was the first I had heard of this book and this author, but after finishing The Devotion of Suspect X, it is clear to see why it is an award-winning book and why Higashino is Japan's biggest bestselling novelist. I am already looking forward to reading more of his work.

This review is of an advanced copy format of the book from LibraryThing Early Reviewers....more

"Which is harder: devising an unsolvable problem, or solving that problem? "

The quote from the book (which is a mathematical problem indeed), pretty much sums up the backbone of the script.

The language flow is a bit scratchy at times (probably due to "not up to the mark" translation), but the book does manage to keep you curious and interested through most part of the plot. It kicks off a bit slow, with the first 20 pages being merely a drag, but it gets into the real deal quickly after that.

Th"Which is harder: devising an unsolvable problem, or solving that problem? "

The quote from the book (which is a mathematical problem indeed), pretty much sums up the backbone of the script.

The language flow is a bit scratchy at times (probably due to "not up to the mark" translation), but the book does manage to keep you curious and interested through most part of the plot. It kicks off a bit slow, with the first 20 pages being merely a drag, but it gets into the real deal quickly after that.

The character sketch of the lead, Ishigami, is brilliantly laid out, and flawlessly carried through the book. Yukawa's character plays a perfect support role.

The Devotion of Suspect X is unlike the usual crime thriller, by providing the details of the crime right at the start. The main plot of the book is the cover-up. And i must say the plot is truly genius. With a brilliant mind behind the planning, it is sophisticated, complex and near-perfect. The book unravels to an end that will leave you fairly awestruck, giving a great finish to the novel. Not to forget, the title could not have been more apt.

There are a few loopholes in the plot, though :

(view spoiler)[Misato, the daughter of the divorced Yasuko, is an accomplice in the crime. Though shes just a teenager, she shows no signs of panic, not during the crime, not after it, neither when the investigators take the stage. She doesn't break down to the investigators' repeated questioning. Shes stays as calm as even a mature mind would find hard to do, as so clearly shown by Yasuko's character from time to time.

When the end unravels, Yasuko's character is not perturbed much by the fact that Ishigami surrendered himself to the police just to protect her. Isn't it a big enough sacrifice? She makes a very sharp turn when it is revealed that he actually killed a person to make the cover-up spotless. Now, she is devastated. But according to me, there shouldn't be such a huge difference between the two sacrifices. If someone goes to jail, probably for a life sentence, just to keep you out of harms way due to a crime you committed, that should at least leave you unable to take an easy breath for a long time.

Other than those, at times the writing could be a bit better to create more curiosity in the reader. For a simple example, when the investigator goes to Yukawa to talk about some development in the investigation, something pretty important, but to kill the intensity, we get to know exactly what he has to talk about, a few pages before the actual conversation.

Overall the book is a "Should read" for all those crime thriller fans out there, and especially for those who always wanted to read a perfect crime cover-up.["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>...more

First Sentence: At 7:35 A.M. Ishigami left his apartment as he did every weekday morning.

A woman separated from her brutal husband. A neighbor devoted to helping her. A policeman tasked with trying to solve a murder. A physicist asked to help his friend the policeman, and who knows the neighbor. These four elements combine into a game of cat and mouse.

My first thought was how much I wish they had included a map. My second thought was a wish for a cast of characters as I am not as familiar with JFirst Sentence: At 7:35 A.M. Ishigami left his apartment as he did every weekday morning.

A woman separated from her brutal husband. A neighbor devoted to helping her. A policeman tasked with trying to solve a murder. A physicist asked to help his friend the policeman, and who knows the neighbor. These four elements combine into a game of cat and mouse.

My first thought was how much I wish they had included a map. My second thought was a wish for a cast of characters as I am not as familiar with Japanese names as some other cultures and, in the beginning, found it a bit difficult keeping track of who was whom. Both those thoughts quickly faded.

The story sets off with a very good beginning wherein we learn first of the characters, and then of the emotions and motives that drives them. All the characters, on both sides of the crime, draw you in. It’s fascinating as there is no real “bad” guy to the story.

That said, this is a story very much driven by the plot. And what a plot it is! There are surprises, twists and turns, and an intriguing game of cat-and-mouse. It is an intelligent plot, which even includes math and science. It is not all cerebral, as there is also some very good suspense. Most of all, there is an ending which is understandable yet emotionally raw and impactful.

“The Devotion of Suspect X” was a complete and wonderful surprise. It is a brilliantly structured story. It’s easy to see why Higashino is the most popular, best-selling mystery author in Japan. Hopefully, American readers will soon add him to their “must-read” lists as well.

"Sometimes, all you had to do was exist in order to be someone's savior."

We start this novel knowing exactly how the crime happened, and the events leading up to it, but we're in the dark about what happens immediately after. We watch as Ishigami and Yukawa - geniuses and one-time friends - side-step and attempt to one-up each other in an elaborate game of cat-and-mouse. None of the characters are portrayed as purely evil, or criminal, just victims of their circumstances and an especially sad ki

"Sometimes, all you had to do was exist in order to be someone's savior."

We start this novel knowing exactly how the crime happened, and the events leading up to it, but we're in the dark about what happens immediately after. We watch as Ishigami and Yukawa - geniuses and one-time friends - side-step and attempt to one-up each other in an elaborate game of cat-and-mouse. None of the characters are portrayed as purely evil, or criminal, just victims of their circumstances and an especially sad kind of weakness - devotion.

How far would you go for this person you want to protect, and why would you go to such lengths? I thought the reveal at the end was powerful, and it only exacerbated the effect of (view spoiler)[Yasuko's (hide spoiler)] ultimate decision. It's a very interesting narrative on the nature of life debts, and perhaps the payment of those life debts.

THIS BOOK, JAPAN & ME, I GUESSI finished this book very quickly, almost in one sitting (which rarely happens), and which must be proof of how engrossing I found it. It's quite a different experience, reading a Japanese mystery novel. I mean, I read a LOT of manga, but other Japanese literature had been quite impenetrable due to the language barrier. And it's a sad thing as Japan may be one of the most prolific publishers in the mystery department. This is actually the reason I want to learn Japanese - to expand my reading sphere.

Also there's a Detective Galileo series out there which I obviously must watch. Plus this book reminds me of the SK movies "Memories of Murder" and "Madeo".["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>...more

Another Japanese murder mystery/thriller (though there's no mystery about it as we come to know of the victim, murderer and accomplice in the first few pages itself. ) The book has a couple of highly intelligent learned people, their sidekicks, police as well as ordinary citizens, all jousting with each other. An ex - Husband gets killed by his wife, her neighbour , a brilliant mathematician helps her to hide the fact. Police (naturally) suspect her and 1-2 red herrings are successfully thrown iAnother Japanese murder mystery/thriller (though there's no mystery about it as we come to know of the victim, murderer and accomplice in the first few pages itself. ) The book has a couple of highly intelligent learned people, their sidekicks, police as well as ordinary citizens, all jousting with each other. An ex - Husband gets killed by his wife, her neighbour , a brilliant mathematician helps her to hide the fact. Police (naturally) suspect her and 1-2 red herrings are successfully thrown in their way. The final revelations come as absolute surprise, and I feel that the alien twist marred the story rather than strengthening it. I expected more (or less in terms of deeds) from the maths professor, who was a real enigma in view of his irrational behaviour. And I am not comfortable with abrupt endings with hanging threads.In spite of all this, a 4 star read for me as I was held riveted throughout....more

My first encounter with Keigo Higashino’s works was by watching some adaptations of his novels on Japanese television, and, being a mystery lover already, I fell in love with his witty and subversive plots (my favourite tv show adaptation was “Ryuusei no Kizuna” (also known as “Ties of Shooting Stars”), but sadly the book hasn’t been translated in English – I should polish my Japanese soon so I can read it!). Needless to say, when I came acrossThe review was also posted in The Literary Sisters.

My first encounter with Keigo Higashino’s works was by watching some adaptations of his novels on Japanese television, and, being a mystery lover already, I fell in love with his witty and subversive plots (my favourite tv show adaptation was “Ryuusei no Kizuna” (also known as “Ties of Shooting Stars”), but sadly the book hasn’t been translated in English – I should polish my Japanese soon so I can read it!). Needless to say, when I came across The Devotion of Suspect X, I ended up purchasing it in a heartbeat.

In The Devotion of Suspect X, Detective Kusanagi investigates a crime that is almost too perfect to be true. He seeks the help of Yukawa, a physicist who is incredibly apt to solving such mysteries and cases. This case in particular seems to be of great interest to him, since a former college colleague of his, Ishigami, a mathematician, appears to somehow be involved in this, as he is the neighbour of the prime suspect for this case, Yasuko Hanaoka.

Reading Higashino’s works is so very different from watching it. Taking into account that he is one of Japan’s best-selling authors is an adequate enough argument for the simplicity of his prose. Surely, due to the nature of his books, Higashino uses a lot of jargon from the field of mathematics and physics, but his writing style in general is quite easy to go through.

This book is so different from any other crime or mystery novels I’ve read so far. It’s not like the typical crime novel where you try to find who the culprit is – that’s information that’s already given to you from the very first chapters of the book. It’s also not like most of the Japanese crime novels I’ve encountered before, where you already know who comitted the crime. It is truly about the psychological state of the murderer and how they cope with what they have done more than about the crime itself.

The Devotion of Suspect X combines all these elements and diverts from them at the same time. Having started this book by being absolutely convinced I would adore it, I must admit that I had quite a few moments of doubt whilst reading it. The double perspective of the culprit (who knows everything) and the police investigators (who know but a few things) is certainly interesting, but I couldn’t find how that contributed to the plot overall. Also, I thought that the narrowing down of the suspects by the police came about in a bit of an absolute and sudden manner – one would expect them to investigate a bit further before deciding on pinpointing someone.

All in all, I quite enjoyed this book. It is definitely not one of Higashino’s best and the final plot twist is not as impressive as it would have been if the reader was unaware of the culprit from the set out. Still, it was a fast-paced mystery that makes you question the depth of human relationships and the human psyche more than anything else. The final question that this book will probably leave you pondering is how deeply can a person be devoted to another and in what lengths can this devotion actually lead someone?...more

Keigo Higashino is one of the most popular and biggest selling fiction authors in Japan—as well known as James Patterson, Dean Koontz or Tom Clancy are in the USA.

Born in Osaka, he started writing novels while still working as an engineer at Nippon Denso Co.(presently DENSO). He won the Edogawa Rampo Prize, which is awarded annually to the finest mystery work, in 1985 for the novel Hōkago (After SKeigo Higashino is one of the most popular and biggest selling fiction authors in Japan—as well known as James Patterson, Dean Koontz or Tom Clancy are in the USA.

Born in Osaka, he started writing novels while still working as an engineer at Nippon Denso Co. (presently DENSO). He won the Edogawa Rampo Prize, which is awarded annually to the finest mystery work, in 1985 for the novel Hōkago (After School) at age 27. Subsequently, he quit his job and started a career as a writer in Tokyo.

In 1999, he won the Mystery Writers of Japan Inc award for the novel Himitsu (The Secret), which was translated into English by Kerim Yasar and published by Vertical under the title of Naoko in 2004. In 2006, he won the 134th Naoki Prize for Yōgisha X no Kenshin. His novels had been nominated five times before winning with this novel.

The Devotion of Suspect X was the second highest selling book in all of Japan— fiction or nonfiction—the year it was published, with over 800,000 copies sold. It won the prestigious Naoki Prize for Best Novel— the Japanese equivalent of the National Book Award and the Man Booker Prize. Made into a motion picture in Japan, The Devotion of Suspect X spent 4 weeks at the top of the box office and was the third highest‐grossing film of the year.

Higashino’s novels have more movie and TV series adaptations than Tom Clancy or Robert Ludlum, and as many as Michael Crichton....more